Cursed Melody

Chapter 16

Mia

Anxiety coursed through me as I paced from wall to wall. It's crazy how quickly feelings can change within an hour.

Shock, anger, tolerance, relief, and finally acceptance. Unfortunately, the whole shit storm of emotions was overtaken by the hourly tsunami of absolute agony that's now being followed closely by anxiety.

And the reason for this newfound emotion-- Merida was missing. Ma told me, after she'd brought in a medication from Dr. Scott that temporarily dulls the "bond-pain," as I've recently dubbed it.

I wouldn't be pacing around in my room if this was just another routine missing person that Peter could find with ease. However, the witch's traces have been discovered in the area where she last was, meaning Merida's likely been kidnapped.

Madness pushes at the surface, once and then twice and I know she's begging me to do something.

I run my fingers through my hair in frustration.

It's funny, now that I can feel every emotion that has passed through Merida, it seems she's always been like this. Stuck in a constant state of frustration. A feeling that now courses through me at every waking moment.

I laugh to myself, finding nothing better to do. It was just ironic, considering how I convinced myself I could handle this mate bond. Or what's left of it at least.

Shit. I think. Too much is happening and I'm pacing around this damned room like a fucking idiot.

A fucking useless idiot.

I need to move. To do something.

Madness shoves me, desperate, and it soon becomes clear what I need to do.

I need to help. No matter what. There's no way I'm going to sit in this damn room while Merida is god knows where with an insane witch. A witch that, if I remember correctly, tried to kill me and Kristen and who knows how many others.

Fear courses through me as the memory of those purple flames erupts over my flesh forcing a growl to tear out of me as Madness pushes within me, eager to break free to protect me from this invisible threat. But she doesn't need to. Because I won't be afraid of the bitch anymore.

I flinch as pain strikes me, but it isn't physical. It feels like a mental pinch in my head. A pinch that's urging me to move forward. To go somewhere. With a surprising warmth that grows in my chest, I can understand the feeling, it's meaning.

It's a call. To Merida.

She's out there, and despite the shit that just went down a few hours ago, she's calling to me. Pushing at me to come to her. And suddenly, it becomes clear what I need to do.

I can help, I think as I burst out of my room. Immediately, I'm hit with a wave of werewolves moving briskly throughout the house. I knew there were be a good amount here, but seeing it all now makes me realize just how many wolves live here. And exactly how quickly Peter can mobilize them for battle.

It's an incredible sight as I take in the vast amount of them. Hundreds of wolves are preparing for the hunt tonight. I can feel the fire that runs through their blood as they move from one place to the other, gathering materials and helping others prepare.

Madness pushes me to move faster and I comply, heading straight for Peter's office. Hushed voices rang out from the other side and a whisper from somewhere inside me told me that I shouldn't intervene but at the moment, I simply didn't care.

As I pushed the door open, multiple familiar faces stopped their conversation as they turned to the door. Besides Peter, Ma, and Dr. Scott, I knew the other faces in the room belonged to the Beta, who served as Peter's second in command, and the Gamma, who handled the financial and legal obligations.